Playing for Keeps (17 page)

When Noah came back into the bedroom, he turned the light off before crawling under the covers and pulling Olivia against him. His warm, bare skin brushed against hers, and he felt a hot shiver of arousal even though he was bone-tired. Truthfully, he had never been one to snuggle, but having Olivia curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder felt peaceful . . . right. A sense of pure contentment washed over him, and he hugged her closer. With a small sigh she reached up and cupped his cheek before resting her hand back on his chest.

Her sweet, simple gesture moved him beyond all measure, and he kissed the top of her head while caressing her shoulder. No words were spoken, but something shifted in their relationship and it wasn’t simply about sex. In that moment Noah knew that they were moving in the direction of something deeper, lasting . . . meaningful. She tucked her leg between his and leisurely trailed her fingertips over his chest as if she couldn’t get close enough or touch him enough. He smiled and murmured, “That feels nice. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” she whispered in his ear and then kissed his neck. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over his bottom lip and then splayed her hand over his chest once more. He felt as if a new level of trust and comfort settled between them, and he covered her hand with his. He could have told her that he loved her right here and now and he would’ve meant it, but he knew it wasn’t the right time just yet.

Before Olivia, the women in his life had equated to fun but he had never shared the kind of conversation or companionship that Olivia provided. She made him laugh, she warmed his heart, and she filled a gap in his life that he hadn’t really known was there until recently.

She sighed once more and rubbed her leg against his, and then her breathing became soft and even. Noah smiled as he reached out and pulled the covers up over her bare shoulder. Olivia was asleep in his arms and that was just fine, since he had no intention of leaving her bed until morning.

Although his eyes were heavy and his body drained, sleep evaded him and yet he was content to simply hold her close and listen to her breathe. What, he wondered, would it be like to do this each and every night and then wake up next to a woman that you loved?

Amazing
. . . filtered into his mind and set up shop.

And yet in the back of his brain the reminder that he was leaving after the conclusion of the play buzzed around like an annoying fly that needed to be swatted. While he couldn’t fathom the thought of Olivia not being in his life, he had to wonder what was here for him or what there was outside of this small town for her.

Unable to come up with an answer, Noah closed his eyes and ground his teeth together.

Funny, in Madison’s play Ben and Amy fought their attraction while they concentrated on everything else in their busy lives except each other, but in the end they realized what mattered most, making Noah wonder if he and Olivia were life imitating art.

But could they find a compromise? A solution? Noah also sensed that there was something in her past that she hadn’t told him about; he needed to know what it was in order to piece together the reasons for her fierce loyalty to this struggling town.

The thought of hurting her clawed at his heart, but he finally drifted off to sleep hoping that somehow, some way, they would find the path that would eventually lead them to that elusive happy ending.

O
livia found herself daydreaming and humming throughout the day, and when she went into the ladies’ room during lunch, she noticed a goofy smile plastered on her face. She frowned and tried to put her no-nonsense teacher attitude in place, but her smile popped back out as soon as she thought of Noah, which was about every other second. “This will never do,” she mumbled, and she decided to pin her hair up in a bun in an effort to appear serious for fourth period. “There.” She gave her reflection a firm nod and then clicked down the hallway in her sensible pumps.

She sat down at her desk and waited for the students to get settled. “Okay, I’ll give you the first half of the class to work on your essays. Feel free to come up to me with questions, and remember that the rough draft is due on Monday, so now is your time to ask away.” She folded her hands on her neat-as-a-pin desk and attempted to appear all business, but then she felt the song “Walking on Sunshine” bubbling up in her throat. She wondered what her students would think if she burst into song like in
High School Musical
, and that thought sent her into a sudden fit of giggles, which she had to disguise with a cough.

Apparently, waking up to Noah Falcon kissing her neck was the way to start the day.

Olivia slipped on her glasses and attempted to grade yesterday’s quiz, but once again her brain decided to take a side trip to Noah-land. When her phone vibrated, she discreetly picked it up but failed to maintain her poise when she saw that Noah had sent her a text message saying she was the sexiest woman on the planet.

“Miss Lawson?”

Olivia looked up to see Chrissie waving her hand in the air. The rest of the class stared at Olivia expectantly, making her wonder how long she had ignored Chrissie’s raised hand. She quickly dumped the phone that she shouldn’t have had out anyway into her desk drawer and tilted her chin up to peer over her glasses. “Yes, Chrissie?”

While twirling her ponytail Chrissie asked, “Um, do you think we could have until Monday to turn in our rough draft instead of tomorrow?”

Olivia blew an errant strand of hair that had escaped her bun out of her face and angled her head. “And why should I extend the due date?” she asked crisply, hoping that her face wasn’t beet red from the text message.

“Well . . .” Chrissie hesitated but then continued in a rush. “The Cricket Creek baseball team is playing the Morgan County Colonels and they are our archrivals. I really,
really
want to go, but I can’t if I have to work on my paper. I mean, after all, it is a big game, Miss Lawson, and the team needs our support, but I want to get a good grade too.” She played with her ponytail and shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.”

The class looked at Olivia expectantly. Although she encouraged them to support school functions from band contests to baseball games, she always preached that academics came first. “I do believe,” she began, and it seemed as if the entire class leaned forward and held a collective breath, “that Chrissie has a valid point.”

“I do?” Chrissie asked with surprise but then flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and sat up straighter. “I mean, I know. Makes sense, right?”

Olivia nodded slowly. “I’ll extend the deadline,” she began and then held up her index finger, “but to get the extension you must attend the game.” She grinned and then asked, “Everybody down with that?” Heads bobbed and eyes widened at her use of slang, and so she added, “Sweet,” just to mess with them. “I’ll see you there.” She smiled, then cleared her throat. “Okay, now back to work.”

Heads bent to their tasks and Olivia went back to trying to grade papers. It might have been her imagination, but she thought the class seemed to be working diligently, perhaps in appreciation of her extension of the deadline. Her red pen paused in mid-check while she mulled this over. She knew she was a good teacher. She had the test scores to prove it. She worked hard, and whenever possible she was accessible to her students. But she had a reputation for being strict and grading tough, which didn’t always make her popular with parents or students. Ever since the day Noah Falcon rumbled into town, though, Olivia’s view on life had been changing. He had awakened something soft and warm, melting a cold, hard ball of fear that had been knotted in her stomach since the day her mother left. She was learning to trust, to believe . . . to love.

Olivia thought of her father, who had lived his life in quiet anguish, crushed by the desertion of a woman he had adored. For the first time Olivia understood how he could be so hurt, but she also knew that he deserved another chance at happiness. In her matchmaking attempts she had never once considered someone to bring the joy of love back into her father’s life.

“Oh, my gosh!” she said out loud when the absolute perfect person popped into her mind. Ignoring the startled looks from her students, she shook her head with a sense of wonder. “How could I not have known this?”

“Known what?” Chrissie had the nerve to ask.

“Something I should’ve seen a long time ago.” Olivia nibbled on the inside of her cheek and had to brush a tear away.

“You okay?” Chrissie asked, and all eyes were upon her.

“Perfectly fine.” Olivia nodded. “Thank you, Chrissie.” She realized that she could dig deep for emotions for a scene in a play, but in her real life she had been going through the motions, just like her father. A good cry, a flash of anger, a belly laugh had all been replaced by strict self-control. Olivia had been taught this by her father’s example, and she had thought it served her well. After all, letting go meant feeling and feeling meant hurting.

She brushed at another tear. She rarely lost her composure in front of her students, but instead of feeling embarrassed she swallowed the moisture clogging her throat and inhaled a shaky breath. Not knowing how to explain her emotional state, she glanced down at her desk and found the script to
Just One Thing
. Inspired, she held it up. “I’ve already mentioned it before, but this is the play that is being put on by Cricket Creek Community Theater. I know that you’ve heard that our very own Noah Falcon has come home to star in the play.”

“You mean
your
very own?” Head cheerleader Jackie Swanson asked with an arch of one blond eyebrow. “Way to go, Miss Lawson. That man is mighty fine.”

Olivia felt another blush creep up her neck. “Noah and I are working together.”

“Closely,” Jackie said with a slow nod, but she hushed when Olivia gave her a “That’s enough” look. “I’m just sayin’ what I’ve heard.”

Olivia felt a little surge of feminine pride that people really were connecting her with Noah. She also hoped that it really did make people want to attend the play. “Back to my point,” Olivia said in her teacher voice. “What you may not realize is that the play was written by Madison Robinson, who also lived here as a child. Her aunt Myra owns the diner in town. Anyway, Madison is only twenty-three years old.” Olivia inclined her head. “Just a few years older than each of you,” she added. “Can anyone guess where I’m going with this?”

Seventeen-year-olds weren’t always eager to contribute thoughts, but shy, rather nerdy Allie Cooper halfway raised a tentative hand. Olivia gave her an encouraging smile, thinking that Allie reminded her of herself at this tender age. “Thoughts, Allie?”

“Well,” Allie began softly, “Noah Falcon was a major-league baseball player turned television actor, and Madison Robinson is a budding playwright.” She swallowed and continued. “They obviously had high aspirations and achieved them.”

“They sure did. Any other observations?” Olivia raised her eyebrows at the class. Jimmy Walters, a star athlete in both football and baseball, casually raised his hand. “Jimmy?”

He sat up straighter. “It’s tough to get scouts to come to smaller independent schools unless you do something off-the-wall like the Cricket Creek Tigers did back when Noah was playing. When he was a senior they went undefeated and won the state championship.” Jimmy shrugged his wide shoulders. “It’s impossible to make it to the next level when you never even get a good look.”

“Impossible?” Olivia shook her head. “Jimmy, they did it. If Madison’s play gets good reviews, it could end up at a bigger venue, maybe even Broadway. Jessica Robinson started out cooking in a diner and became a chef in a four-star restaurant. You can still dream big in a small town.”

“Yeah, you can dream big and then leave if you want to get anywhere,” Jimmy replied. “Miss Lawson, let’s face it—everything is closing up in Cricket Creek. If that happens this school will shut down and we’ll get bussed out to the county.”

Olivia stood up, leaned forward, and said, “I remember when this town was thriving. The marina was packed. You had a tough time walking down Main Street on a Saturday afternoon. You had to book a bed-and-breakfast a year in advance.”

Jimmy shook his head. “Dude, those days are gone.”

Olivia responded, “They don’t have to be. Our baseball team is good this year. Let’s all go out and support them. And eat at Myra’s. Hang out at the Dairy Hut and the marina this summer. Attend the production of
Just One Thing
! Play some sand volleyball at the city park. Let’s breathe life back into this town one day at a time.” Olivia pounded her fist on the desktop. “This is our town. Let’s save it!” Okay, her fist really smarted, but she raised it up without so much as a cringe and said, “Are y’all with me?”

“Yes!” Chrissie, bless her heart, was the first to jump in. She pumped her fist skyward and looked at the rest of the class in challenge. “Come on, you guys. I am third generation and proud of it. Raise your stupid fists!”

Allie raised hers with an unexpected “Woo-hoo!” Jimmy followed and soon the entire class had jumped on the bandwagon.

Olivia’s heart beat faster and she smiled broadly. She had never felt so alive, so driven . . . so happy.

“Causing chaos, Miss Lawson?”

Olivia looked over and saw Noah leaning against the doorframe and wearing a Cricket Creek Tigers uniform. “Chaos is my middle name,” Olivia answered drily, causing a titter of laughter from the students.

He took off his baseball cap and grinned. “So I’ve heard.” He looked incredibly sexy in the blue jersey and tight baseball pants, and even though she felt a hot shiver of excitement just seeing him, Olivia arched one eyebrow, pressed her glasses up on her nose, and asked crisply, “So, Mr. Falcon, to what do we owe this pleasure?” She meant her comment to sound businesslike but stumbled over the word “pleasure.”